Few, if any of us, would not change the odd decision we have made if we could see the outcome first.

This certainly must apply to the decision to close Burnley General Hospital’s accident and emergency department just over 10 years ago.

At the time the thousands of residents fought to stave off the decision to centralise the unit at the new super hospital along the M65.

Emotions and tensions ran high with campaigners warning that one accident and emergency unit would not be able to cope with the sheer volume of demand.

How right they were. In fairness, no-one knows if a Burnley accident and emergency unit would be able to cope in the current climate. One suspects not.

I am pretty sure we would be seeing waiting times akin to those being experienced in all parts of the country nowadays. But retaining our unit could certainly not have done ay harm. East Lancs NHS Hospital Trust’s chief executive Kevin McGee has given an honest and commendable assessment of the situation in our part of the county. There now appears to no going back.